Most Popular Baby Boy Names in 1920

In this article we'll look at what the most popular baby boy names were for the year 1920. These names are taken directly from the Social Security card applications for births that occurred in the United States.

The table below shows the top 250 most popular baby boy names in 1920, with a total count for the number of births registered with that given name.

You can also use the links below to research more about the most popular baby names.

Top 1000 most popular boy names: 1-250 | 251-500 | 501-750 | 751-1000

Top 1000 most popular girl names: 1-250 | 251-500 | 501-750 | 751-1000

Rank Name Count
1 John 56,914
2 William 50,148
3 Robert 48,678
4 James 47,909
5 Charles 28,309
6 George 26,891
7 Joseph 25,590
8 Edward 20,096
9 Frank 16,430
10 Richard 15,010
11 Thomas 14,938
12 Harold 13,678
13 Walter 13,293
14 Paul 12,571
15 Raymond 12,194
16 Donald 11,942
17 Henry 11,305
18 Arthur 10,236
19 Albert 9,997
20 Jack 9,599
21 Harry 9,406
22 Ralph 8,556
23 Kenneth 7,840
24 Howard 7,465
25 David 7,445
26 Clarence 7,221
27 Carl 7,010
28 Louis 6,966
29 Willie 6,888
30 Eugene 6,866
31 Earl 6,532
32 Roy 6,355
33 Fred 6,298
34 Francis 6,241
35 Joe 6,071
36 Lawrence 5,727
37 Ernest 5,566
38 Leonard 5,511
39 Warren 5,492
40 Stanley 5,314
41 Herbert 5,249
42 Alfred 5,007
43 Anthony 4,944
44 Samuel 4,654
45 Elmer 4,206
46 Bernard 4,164
47 Norman 4,109
48 Leo 4,054
49 Andrew 4,026
50 Michael 4,003
51 Russell 3,901
52 Daniel 3,896
53 Edwin 3,734
54 Melvin 3,718
55 Chester 3,698
56 Leroy 3,549
57 Peter 3,497
58 Lloyd 3,454
59 Clifford 3,291
60 Frederick 3,275
61 Floyd 3,260
62 Marvin 3,244
63 Theodore 3,219
64 Gerald 3,157
65 Vernon 3,145
66 Herman 3,109
67 Ray 3,086
68 Clyde 3,068
69 Lester 3,068
70 Charlie 2,785
71 Philip 2,700
72 Lewis 2,688
73 Vincent 2,661
74 Milton 2,592
75 Leon 2,554
76 Alvin 2,523
77 Cecil 2,459
78 Martin 2,439
79 Jesse 2,420
80 Glenn 2,375
81 Victor 2,349
82 Lee 2,322
83 Benjamin 2,309
84 Sam 2,283
85 Gordon 2,277
86 Wayne 2,180
87 Harvey 2,165
88 Willard 2,089
89 Edgar 2,029
90 Oscar 2,006
91 Arnold 1,911
92 Claude 1,893
93 Wallace 1,877
94 Allen 1,866
95 Everett 1,827
96 Stephen 1,772
97 Gilbert 1,763
98 Wilbur 1,741
99 Johnnie 1,727
100 Homer 1,722
101 Virgil 1,711
102 Maurice 1,708
103 Roger 1,691
104 Eddie 1,681
105 Dale 1,680
106 Douglas 1,657
107 Sidney 1,610
108 Morris 1,609
109 Marion 1,604
110 Leslie 1,592
111 Jessie 1,590
112 Max 1,561
113 Hubert 1,508
114 Roland 1,501
115 Hugh 1,489
116 Irving 1,485
117 Alexander 1,474
118 Manuel 1,460
119 Franklin 1,451
120 Curtis 1,443
121 Bill 1,421
122 Glen 1,413
123 Luther 1,379
124 Nicholas 1,355
125 Julius 1,318
126 Jerome 1,285
127 Steve 1,281
128 Horace 1,276
129 Wesley 1,244
130 Jose 1,241
131 Tom 1,207
132 Billy 1,206
133 Willis 1,197
134 Orville 1,195
135 Oliver 1,164
136 Tony 1,146
137 Ben 1,138
138 Edmund 1,104
139 Calvin 1,098
140 Earnest 1,092
141 Mike 1,074
142 Alex 1,069
143 Jacob 1,050
144 Jerry 1,043
145 Archie 1,037
146 Otis 1,031
147 Jimmie 1,024
148 Don 1,019
149 Bruce 996
150 Delbert 982
151 Lyle 967
152 Matthew 967
153 Clayton 961
154 Guy 957
155 Angelo 922
156 Clifton 910
157 Salvatore 910
158 Clinton 908
159 Patrick 877
160 Wilbert 867
161 Bennie 856
162 Marshall 850
163 Ervin 843
164 Phillip 840
165 Jim 838
166 Nathaniel 837
167 Emil 835
168 Ronald 832
169 Rudolph 830
170 Ira 829
171 Merle 819
172 Nathan 815
173 Gene 810
174 Sylvester 807
175 Keith 803
176 Wilfred 802
177 Leland 799
178 Forrest 792
179 Ivan 791
180 Dean 788
181 Elbert 786
182 Irvin 775
183 Woodrow 774
184 Johnny 767
185 Dan 764
186 Lonnie 740
187 Nelson 740
188 Rufus 729
189 Bob 710
190 Antonio 706
191 Isaac 706
192 Johnie 706
193 Junior 699
194 Nick 699
195 Julian 693
196 Grover 684
197 Alton 683
198 Lowell 670
199 Aaron 668
200 Felix 668
201 Jay 666
202 Seymour 660
203 Abraham 656
204 Ellis 646
205 Pete 636
206 Otto 634
207 Dennis 624
208 Dewey 619
209 Emmett 614
210 Rex 614
211 August 610
212 Carroll 607
213 Juan 605
214 Roscoe 604
215 Grady 602
216 Percy 601
217 Owen 598
218 Bert 593
219 Mark 589
220 Elwood 586
221 Wilson 583
222 Loyd 582
223 Adam 579
224 Byron 571
225 Dominick 564
226 Fredrick 558
227 Malcolm 556
228 Laurence 550
229 Myron 548
230 Ross 548
231 Ted 545
232 Wendell 544
233 Perry 542
234 Dominic 536
235 Allan 535
236 Mack 533
237 Loren 530
238 Jesus 528
239 Murray 524
240 Billie 523
241 Adolph 522
242 Troy 519
243 Eldon 517
244 Norbert 515
245 Karl 502
246 Amos 493
247 Neil 489
248 Sherman 488
249 Charley 485
250 Harley 484

What's in a (Popular) Name?

How do we know which baby names are hot each year? It's simple! The Social Security Administration collects data as parents register their newborns for a Social Security card. So, instead of waiting for the 10-year census, we get an annual update on the trending names!

Popular Baby Names vs. Popular First Names: Any Differences?

If you're wondering why the most popular baby names and the most popular first names aren't the same, remember: first names include everyone, not just babies. With 16.5% of the population over 65, names popular in their generation, like 'Karl' or '', still top the charts. As the birth rate declines, we won't see baby names like 'John' or '' topping the overall popular names list until the Baby Boomer generation decreases significantly.

What Factors Influence Baby Name Popularity?

Ever wondered how a name like 'James' or '' hits the charts? It's not an exact science, but here are some cool factors:

Celebrity Influence

Americans adore their stars! A favorite celeb can influence baby names, so if you see more little 'Roberts' or 's' running around, you might have a Hollywood A-lister to thank!

Character-Inspired Names

Bookworms and movie buffs often name their kids after beloved characters. If 'Charles' or '' sound familiar, check out the latest bestseller or box-office hit!

Following the Trend

We humans are trend-followers. So, if a friend's baby 'George' or '' has a cute ring to it, don't be surprised if it catches on!

The Power of Recall

Names heard repeatedly stick in our minds. So if 'Richard' or '' are on repeat, you'll likely see them in the baby name charts.

Family Tradition

Some names like 'Joseph' or '' stand the test of time, thanks to the tradition of naming babies after older relatives.

Religion and Politics

Religious texts and political figures inspire many parents. Evergreen choices like 'Edward' or '' show the lasting impact of religion and politics on baby names.

So, while we can't always predict why a name like 'Frank' or '' becomes popular, these factors give us some fun insights into the ever-changing landscape of baby names!

Historical Data for Baby Names

If you're interested to see how the trends and popularity of baby names have changed, you can use the links below to view the historical data by decade.

Most popular first names, 1880-present | since 1950 | since 1960 | since 1970 | since 1980 | since 1990 | since 2000 | since 2010

Most popular boy names, 1880-present | since 1950 | since 1960 | since 1970 | since 1980 | since 1990 | since 2000 | since 2010

Most popular girl names, 1880-present | since 1950 | since 1960 | since 1970 | since 1980 | since 1990 | since 2000 | since 2010

Data Source(s)

All of the data on this page is sourced from the Social Security Administration (SSA) and excludes any names with fewer than 5 occurrences in any geographic area.

Link To or Reference This Page

We spent a lot of time downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

  • "Most Popular Baby Boy Names in 1920". NameCensus.com. Accessed on March 28, 2024. https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-boy-names-in-1920/.

  • "Most Popular Baby Boy Names in 1920". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-boy-names-in-1920/. Accessed 28 March, 2024

  • Most Popular Baby Boy Names in 1920. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-boy-names-in-1920/.